Large capacitance-voltage hysteresis loops in SiO{sub 2} films containing Ge nanocrystals produced by ion implantation and annealing

Journal Article · Mon Feb 13 04:00:00 EST 2006 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2175495· OSTI ID:20778638

Park, C J; Cho, K H; Yang, W -C; Cho, H Y; Choi, Suk-Ho; Elliman, R G; Han, J H; Kim, Chungwoo ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Quantum-Functional Semiconductor Research Center, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of)

Metal-oxide-semiconductor structures containing Ge nanocrystals (NCs) of 3-4 nm diameter and 2x10{sup 12} cm{sup -2} density are shown to exhibit capacitance-voltage hysteresis of 20.9 V, one of the largest observed in Ge-NC based nonvolatile memories. The Ge NCs were fabricated in an oxide of 30 nm thickness by ion implantation with 30 keV Ge{sub 2}{sup -} ions to an equivalent fluence of 1x10{sup 16} Ge cm{sup -2} followed by annealing at 950 deg. C for 10 min. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate the existence of Ge NCs whose average distance from the SiO{sub 2}/Si interface is about 6.7 nm. It is shown that the memory effect is a likely consequence of charge trapping at Ge NCs and that it is enhanced by accurately controlling the distribution of Ge NCs with respect to the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface.

• OSTI ID: 20778638
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 88; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANNEALING
CAPACITANCE
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
GERMANIUM
GERMANIUM IONS
HYSTERESIS
INTERFACES
ION IMPLANTATION
ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
KEV RANGE 10-100
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NANOSTRUCTURES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON OXIDES
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
TRAPPING